Today's News

New SFU program is aimed at advancing careers of immigrant and practising engineers

Vancouver, BC, April 13, 2015--(T-Net)--As products emerge in the market at a faster rate, a new professional master's program at Simon Fraser University will provide cutting-edge training for engineers in product development and manufacturing technologies.

SFU's School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering (MSE) is launching the Professional Master's Program in Engineering in the Fall of 2015.

The program is ideal for practising engineers who want advanced training to enhance their career opportunities.

It will also bridge the gap for immigrants with academic training in specific engineering disciplines, who need to learn about Canadian regulations and ethics and gain an understanding of the local work culture.

“This program could allow our members to work to their full potential and apply their knowledge in Canada,” said Fernando Borja, President of the Society of Internationally Trained Engineers of British Columbia (SITE BC), which represents 800 engineers eager to learn about the Canadian workplace and find jobs in their fields. “Many are struggling with working, and today are in survival jobs or technical jobs. They hope to find meaningful work and become proficient in the Canadian environment.”

MSE faculty members who will teach the program are also conducting leading research with industry, including professor Gary Wang, whose research lab combines multiple disciplines to advance product development and design methods.

“We've designed this program with a unique and cutting-edge curriculum—through dedicated courses, design projects, and industrial co-ops—so students stay competitive in product design and manufacturing,” said Wang.

MSE Director Farid Golnaraghi says the program is the result of feedback from industry and engineers. “We're excited to launch this program at SFU's Surrey campus. We developed it in consultation with the manufacturing sector, our co-op employers and locally trained and foreign-trained engineers.”

Fast facts:

The program will admit engineers with a bachelor's degree or equivalent in the following engineering disciplines: mechanical, electrical/electronic, mechatronic engineering, engineering science, and manufacturing.

The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC (APEGBC) will recognize graduates of this master's program as academically qualified for registration as a professional engineer in B.C. in a directly related field of practice, and will recognize the co-op experience as Canadian work experience, if all conditions are met.

About SFU

As Canada's engaged university, SFU is defined by its dynamic integration of innovative education, cutting-edge research and far-reaching community engagement. SFU was founded almost 50 years ago with a mission to be a different kind of university—to bring an interdisciplinary approach to learning, embrace bold initiatives, and engage with communities near and far.

Today, SFU is a leader amongst Canada's comprehensive research universities and is ranked one of the top universities in the world under 50 years of age. With campuses in British Columbia's three largest cities—Vancouver, Surrey and Burnaby—SFU has eight faculties, delivers almost 150 programs to over 30,000 students, and boasts more than 130,000 alumni in 130 countries around the world.

Ranked by respected national surveys as one of Canada’s top three comprehensive universities for almost 20 years, Simon Fraser University is named after a famous explorer and known for its pioneering spirit.